Extensible stepladder and chair



Aug. 6, 1929. R. H. IRELAND EXTENSIBLE STEPL AISDER AND CHAIR Filed Dem21, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 V INLENTOR 10/26/277. Zrz/mw/ ATTORNEY WITNESSES Wm MKW 1929- R. H. IRELAND 1,723,938

EXTENSIBLE STEPLADDER AND CHAIR Filed Dec. 21, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2HillllilNlllllIllIIIIlllllmlllll"Hillllllllli INVENTOR C/ WWNE Zo/erlli.Ire/012a MW BY MW ATTORNEY Aug. 6, 1929. R. H. IRELAND EXTENSIBLESTEPLADDER AND CHAIR Filed Dec. 21, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 WITNESSESZ2402 7/ ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 6, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT E. IRELAND, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

EXTENSIIBLE STE PLADDER AND CHAIR.

Application filed December 21, 1927. Serial No. 241,638.

tively locking thefoldable or collapsible leg sections in their extendedcondition so as to prevent accidental collapsing or foldlng of i theladder when in use. i

Other objects reside in the comparative simplicity of construction andmode 'of operation of the ladder,. the economy with which the same maybe produced and the general efficiency derived therefrom.

With the above recited and other objects in view, reference is had tothe following description and accompanying drawings in which there isexhibited one example or embodiment of the invention, while the appendedclaims define the actual scope of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side View of the ladder in its folded orcollapsed condition either for use as a chair or as a low step-ladder; v

Fig. 2 is a similar View illustrating the ladder in extended conditionfor materially increasing the height of the same;

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the ladder in folded condition as illustratedin Fig. 4;

Fig. 43is a vertical sectional view illustrat- 7 ing the same in foldedcondition with the rear leg structure in a vertical position;

Fig. 5 is a front view with parts broken away and shown in section IFigure 6 is a vertical sectional view of the ladder in extended oropened condition, illustrating in broken lines the manner 111 which thelower front leg section is moved from its closed to opened position orvice versa. y

Figure 7 is a horizontal fragmentary sec tional View taken approximatelyon the line 7-7 of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a similar viewtaken approximately on the line 8-8 of Figure2.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary front View of the swingable lower section ofthe front leg structure. V

Figure 10 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately on the line1010 of Figure 6, of the latch mechanism.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, 10 designates ahorizontal platform which may constitute a chair seat and which may beprovided with a back rest 11 adjacent its rear edge. Carried by theunder side of its forward edge is a front leg structure including a pairof laterally spaced upper sections 12 rigidly attached to the plat formand extending downwardly and for-,

wardly at an angle thereto. The sections 12 are provided with rearwardlyprojecting flanges 13 of a reduced thickness while the main portion ofthe sections are connected by transverse steps 14. Thelower ends of thesections 12 are bifurcated and form outer and inner furcations 15 and16, the former being of substantially the same thickness as the flanges13. The front leg structure includes swlngable lower sections 17, theupper ends 18 of which are of awidth and thickness to nest within theangle formed by the sections 12 and their flanges 13, while theremaining lower portions 19 are reduced and are of a thickness to snuglyfit between the furcations 15 and 16. The sections 17 are connected bytransverse steps 20 and are further connected by cross bars 21 and 22having reduced terminals 23 and 24 which extend through the reducedlower portion 19 of the section 17 to constitute trunnions. Thetrunnions 24 extend through slots 25 formed in the flanges 13 and havingbayonet slotted terminals 26 extending into the outer fur-cations 15.Theinner furcations 16 have similarly formed bayonet slots 27 intransverse registry therewith and extending in wardly from their rearedges. At the forward edges the furcations 15 and 16 have alined bayonetslots 28 reversely disposed with respect to the bayonet slot terminals26 and the bayonet slots 27. Under this arrangement the lower sectionsof the front leg structure are swingably connected with the uppersections of the front leg structure in such a manner that when the lowersections are in an upwardly swung position and enthe floor or othersupporting surface will permit thelower sections to initially slidedownwardly by gravity to a point where the same is disengaged frombehind the cross cleat 29 and thence swung downwardly by gravity to aposition in prolongation with the upper sections, after which engagementof the lower ends of the lower sections with the floor, will cause thetrunnions 23 and 24 to respectivelyengage within the bayonet slots orbayonet slot terminals to lock the sections against accidental movementwhen the ladder is in use. i The ladder further includes a rear legstructure including upper laterally spaced The lower rear leg structureincluding the laterally'spaced sections 31 is slidably associated withthe upper sections by movement between transverse forward and rearcleats 35" and 86, the sections 31 being con- 'nec'ted by front and rearcleats 87 and 38 lower front legstructure sections 17.

and byan' intermediatecross piece 39.

Mountedj in suitable bearings 40 on the underside of the platformadjacent one side .edge, is a latch rod 41 having an eccentric 'orcrank' portion 42 and provided at its opposite ends with hooked portions13 and 44,Ythe"former adapted to engage with a keeper 45 onthe innerface of one of the The latter hooked portion 4a is adapted to engagewith a segmental keeper element 46 pro vlded-on the innersur'face of oneof the sections 31 at its upper end, the arcuate face I of which element46 whenvthe lower section 'fullyfelevated, disposed on radius coincidentwith the hinge 34 The weighted leverffi is fulcrumed in bearings 48 onthe under side of the platform 10 and is operatively connected with thecrank portion The weighted levernormally operates to move thehooked'elements l3. and a l into engagement with. the keepers 4'5 and d6,WhGIl the. lower front and rearleg sections H and-31 are disposed intheir elevated position. .It thusfollows that when the ladder i'scinafolded or lowered condition, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5, thesame may beextended to its raised position by lifting i the same byneans ofrthe platform 10 and raising upwardly on the weighted lever l?to release..-the hooked elements 43 and 44:

from the keepers d5g andd6. The front leg structure will open toits'extended condition aspreviously described while the rear legstrueture will slide downwardly to its ex- I "tended condition. In orderto lock and maintain the lower rear legsectionsin their extendedcondition, a bayonet slot 50 is provided in the rear edge of saidsections while a weighted transverse bar 51 having terminal arms 52pivoted at 53, is desi ned to gravitationally move into the bayonetslots 50. "In order to allow the movement of said locking bar 51 intothe bayonet slots, the upperrear leg sections 30 are provided with slots54 extending inwardly from the rear edges. The rear leg structure whenfolded is maintained in a vertical depending posh tion by means of ahook 55 pivoted to the outer side of one of the upper sections 30, at56, and engageable in an eye 57 on one of the upper sections 120i thefront leg structure. lVhen swung rearwardly to an angular position forextension of the ladder, the hook 55 is adapted to be engaged in a lowereye 58 on the front leg section 12.

In use and operation, the device when folded and collapsed, asillustrated in Fig. 4, may be employed as a chair, in which instance theplatform 10 constitutes a seat. In this condition the device may also beem ploycd as a low step-ladder. \Vhen it is desired to extend theladder, the operator grasps-the platform at the side edges at the sametime raising the outer end of the weighted lever 4-7 so as to releasethe hooked elements 43 and M from the keeper elements 45 and 4A3. Bylifting the ladder, the lower sections of the front leg structure willinitially slide downwardly and thence swing downwardly and forwardlyuntil the trunnions 23 and 24 properly engage in the bay onetslots. Atthe same time, the lower rear leg sections 31 will slide down 'ardlyuntil the locking rod 51 engages in the bayonet slots 50. As the lowerend of the extended leg structure rests on the floor or supportingsurface, it is obvious that the trunnions and locking rod will bemaintained in the bayonet slots against accidental displacement whilethe ladder is being used in its extended condition.

hat is claimed is:

laAn extensible step-ladder, including a platform, adepending angularlydisposed front leg structure having a rigid upper section and apivotally connected lower section, a normally vertically depending rearleg structure swingable rearwardly to an angular position, means forsecuring the same in either of said positions, a downwardly slidablelower rear leg section, and a common manually releasable means forretaining the lower sections of the front and rear leg structures in araised position.

2. An extensible step-ladder including a platform and depending frontand rear leg structures, the former comprising a rigid forwardlyinclined upper section composed of a laterally spaced pair of membersand transverse connecting steps, said members each having a rearwardlyprojecting outer side flange and a bifurcated lower end, the furcationshaving alined bayonet slots extending inwardly from the forward edge andthe inner furcation of each having a bayonet slot extending inwardlyfrom the rear edge, the flanges having a longitudinal slot adjacent thelower end provided. with a forwardly extending lower portion and abayonet slot terminal in the outer furcation of each membercommunicating with said longitudinal slot, the said front leg structureincluding a lower section composed of a laterally spaced pair ofmembers, cross steps connecting the same and cross rods having theterminals projecting therethrough, the terminals of one of the crossrods engaging in the longitudinal slot for slidably and swingablyassociating the lower section with the upper section and the terminalsof the other cross rod adapted upon extension of the ladder to engage inthe front bayonet slots of the furcations for locking the leg structurein extended condition.

3. An extensible step-ladder, including a I platform and depending frontand rear leg structures, the former comprising a rigid forwardlyinclined upper section composed of a laterally spaced pair of membersand transverse connecting steps, said members each having a rearwardlyprojecting outer side flange and a bifurcated lower end, the furcationshaving alined bayonet slots extending inwardly from the forward edge andthe inner furcation of each having a bayonet slot extending inwardlyfrom the rear edge, the flanges having a longitudinal slot adjacent thelower end provided with a forwardly extending lower portion and abayonet slot terminal. in the outer furcation of each membercommunicating with said longitudinal slot, the said front leg structureincluding a lower section composed of a laterally spaced pair ofmembers, cross steps connecting the same and cross rods having theterminals projecting therethrough, the terminals of one of the crossrods engaging in the longitudinal slot for slidably and swingablyassociating the lower section with the upper section and the terminalsof the other cross rod adapted upon extension of the ladder to engage inthe front bayonet slots of the furcations for locking the leg structurein extended condition, and manually releasable means for retaining thelower section in raised position, including a latch rod having a hookedterminal and a keeper on the lower leg section.

l. An extensible step-ladder, including a platform and depending frontand rear leg structures, the latter including a normally verticallydepending upper section comprising a pair of laterally spaced membershaving hinged connection for swinging movement rearwardly to an angularposition, and a lower section including a pair of laterally spacedmembers slidably associated with the upper section and having bayonetslotted portions, and a gravity locking means engageable with thebayonet slotted portions for locking the lower leg section in extendedcondition.

5. An extensible step-ladder, including a platform and depending frontand rear leg structures, the latter including a normally verticallydepending upper section comprising a pair of laterally spaced membershaving hinged connection for swinging movement rearwardly to an angularposition; a lower section including a pair of laterally spaced memberslidably associated with the upper section and having bayonet slottedportions and a gravity locking means engageable with the bayonet slottedportions for locking the lower leg section in extended condition, andmanually releasable means for retaining the lower section in elevatedposition.

ROBERT H. IRELAND.

